Bøger af Bernard O'Connor

Six 'Old Bedfordians', ex-Bedford School pupils, served their country in ingenious, brave and daring ways during the Second World War. They were involved with the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a TOP SECRET organisation that helped the resistance movements in occupied Europe. Read the stories of Frank Nelson, the first head of SOE;David Makgill Crighton, sent to Yugoslavia as an aide to King Zog; Frederic Peters, the Commandant of a secret school to train secret agents; John Clarke and his father 'Nobby' who developed limpet bombs and other explosive devices; Mike Andrews who worked in Portugal, Spain and France, helping to return escaped prisoners and other evaders to Britain and Charles Bovill, who developed sophistated wireless communications for RAF planes going on clandestine missions into Europe.

Following a cliff collapse in Felixstowe in 1842 that revealed of fossils deposit which Charles Darwin's Cambridge tutor thought resembled prehistoric droppings, a new industry developed to exploit them. Rev. John Henslow thought they were coprolites, fossilised dinosaur dung, similar to those discovered at Lyme Regis. As animal and human droppings were being used as a manure on the fields, chemical analysis of the Felixstowe fossils showed them to be rich in phosphate, a mineral essential for plant growth, Suffolk manure manufacturers bought these fossils, ground them to a powder and dissolved them in sulphuric acid to make superphosphate, the world's first artificial chemical manure. It was a lucrative business and demand for the Suffolk fossils increased.When a similar bed was found in Burwell was tested and found to have a higher phosphate content, the industry spread to Cambridgeshire, expanded into Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Manure manufacturers across the country wanted coprolites.Open cast mining in pits down to 60 feet in places led to tens of thousands of acres being dug. During these operations, the 'coprolite' diggers uncovered numerous articles of archaeological interest, mostly grave sites but also hidden hoards. Some diggers 'pocketed' the finds and sold them on the market as there was a huge interest amongst Victorian archaeologists and antiquarians. Sometimes the landowner claimed the finds and kept them in their drawing room cabinet. Professors and students of archaeology were interested in the finds and published academic papers in their journals. Whilst some finds were donated to the country's new University museums, others were purchased by their curators. One digger made enough from selling his 'finds' to buy himself a pub.Bernard O'Connor, who has researched the geological, historical, economic and social impact of the fossil diggings, has compiled accounts of the archaeological discoveries across Southern England, illustrating them with images from contemporary journals.

The amazing stories of 38 female spies who operated in occupied France and Vichy France, many told for the very first time.

The wartime story of how the Nazi Germany's sent saboteurs from 1938 onwards to launch acts of terror on the street of England and amazingly employed collaborators from the IRA, and attempted to use Scottish and Welsh nationalists.

During the Second World War, the British Royal Air Force''s Special Duties Squadrons parachuted thousands of pigeons into Belgium. Bletchley Park, the nerve centre of the British Intelligence Service, had its own pigeon loft from where birds were sent on intelligence gathering missions. A secret organisation, MI14(d), was created to organise a pigeon service to occupied Europe. Those who found the pigeons were expected to supply military, economic and political intelligence for the Allies. This book includes the messages sent back from Belgium. In particular, it investigates the roles played by Josef Raskin and Jean Ceysens, the British Intelligence Services, the RAF and the brave individuals who, despite the possibility of imprisonment, sent messages to Britain in the hope it would help liberate their country.

Over 16,000 pigeons were dropped into occupied Europe during WW2. Some were used by secret agents to send messages back to headquarters. Others were dropped by parachute into France, Belgium, Holland and Denmark in the hope that people would complete the attached questionnaire and provided military, political, economic or other intelligence of value for the Allies. Photographic negatives could be sent. Bletchley Park had its own loft for its pigeon spies. This book investigates the work of MI14, known as the Colomba Service, and for the first time sheds light on conditions in Occupied Europe described by extremely brave men and women who risked execution if found in possession of a pigeon. MI14 staff, decoded or translated messages and forwarded copies to SOE, SIS, MI19, War Office, RAF, Royal Navy, Ministry of Economic Warfare, BBC, Churchill and de Gaulle.

Over 16,000 pigeons were dropped into occupied Europe during the Second World War. Some were used by secret agents to send messages back to headquarters. Others were dropped into selected areas of France, Belgium, Holland and Denmark in the hope that people would complete the attached questionnaire and provided military, political, economic or other intelligence of value for the Allies. There were also requests for information on the reception and content of the BBC Overseas Service news. Many messages sent back requests that the BBC acknowledge receipt of the message. This book investigates the work of MI14, known as the Colomba Service, and for the first time sheds light on conditions in Occupied Europe described by extremely brave men and women who risked execution if found in possession of a pigeon. MI14 staff, decoded or translated messages and forwarded copies to the SOE, SIS, MI19, the War Office, RAF, Royal Navy, Ministry of Economic Warfare, Churchill, de Gaulle and the BBC.

Some captured German and Austrian personnel were brought to Britain as prisoners of war. Those who were identified as anti-Nazi were 'turned' and, codenamed 'Bonzos', were trained in paramilitary and clandestine warfare to be sent back into occupied Europe on top secret missions. The British Special Operations Executive arranged the infiltration of four Austrians, Albrecht Gaiswinkler, Joseph Grafl, Karl Standhartinger and Karl Lzicar, into the Salzkammergut area of northwestern Austria. This book tells the story of Operation EBENSBURG, their mission to kidnap or assassinate Joseph Goebbels, the Reich's Minister of Propaganda, to organise resistance groups before the arrival of American forces and to protect the looted works of art hidden in the Altaussee salt mine.

Norwegians trained in industrial sabotage at Brickendonbury Manor, near Hertford, U.K. were infiltrated by the 'Shetland Bus', fishing boats, motorboats, submarines or parachuted in by planes to attack targets across Norway. They included Karl Aarsaether, Jan Allen, Johannes S. Andersen, Gunnar Berg, Torfinn Bjørnås, Svein Blindheim, Peter Deinboll, Andreas Fasting, Kasper Fjell, Gunnar Fougner, Arne Gjestland, Per Getz, Gregers Gram, Sverre Granlund, Torleif Grong, Arne Haegstad, Knut Haukelid, Claus Helberg, Thor Helliessen, Willy Houlder, Kasper Idland, Fredrik Kayser, Arne Kjelstrup, Frithjof Pedersen Kviljo, Ruben Langmo, Alf Lindeberg, Martin Linge, Max Manus, Odd Nilsen, Nils Nordland, Martin Olsen, Erik Gjems-Onstad, Arthur Pevik, Johnny Pevik, Jens Anton Poulsson, Joachim Rønneberg, Einar Skinnarland, Paal Skjærpe, Gunnar Sønsteby Odd Starheim, Hans Storhaug, Birger Strømsheim, Harald Svindseth, Edvard Tallasken, Gunvald Tomstad, Ragnar Ulstein, Karl Vilnes, Leif Well and Aasmund Wisløff. .